The Choral Society of West Georgia was approved this week for a grant for $4,950 from the Georgia Council of the Arts to host its annual choral festival in LaGrange.

By Alicia B. Hill, published LaGrange Daily News 7/5/18

The guidelines for the grant emphasized community impact, an area that organizers of the free annual West Georgia Choral Arts Festival put an emphasis.

The choral society applied for the grant in February.

“This is a significant award,” said Bettie Biggs, the West Georgia Choral Arts Festival coordinator.

“These project grants are few and far between, and our grant writing staff has worked very diligently to submit the most professional grant possible. It will help to cover the cost and expense of the West Georgia Choral Arts Festival.”

The grant is exclusively for use for the festival, which features a variety of performances by local groups each year ranging from local school choirs to choral groups that have graced professional venues. The next festival will be the fourth annual choral arts festival in 2019.

“We are privileged to be able to be a partner with LaGrange College music department for the use of their facilities, the Callaway Auditorium, and their staff is supportive of everything that we do,” Biggs said. “That [partnership] was a vital component of the grant.”

The maximum possible award is $5,000, and while requests from eligible partner and arts education applicants exceeded $2.7 million, GCA was only able to award $1.9 million of the requests, according to information from GCA.

The Choral Society of West Georgia will also receive $2,000 in funding from the City of LaGrange this fiscal year.

Here is the link to this LDN article: https://shar.es/anNeJ6

Green will be the color of choice at the Dinner Party sponsored by the Knights of Columbus on Saturday, March 17th at 7:00 PM, St. Peter’s Catholic Church in LaGrange, Georgia. A feast of corned beef, ham, cabbage, vegetables, dessert, and drinks will be served.

A special appearance by the Choral Society of West Georgia is planned and door prizes will be awarded to lucky winners. The evening will also include a “Silent Auction” with the opportunity to bid on original religious artwork. You can view these items in the papal hallway.

Couples are $25. Individual $13. Childcare will be provided for those wishing to make it a date night.

This event is now Sold Out.

“Phantoms of the Organ!”
A fun seasonal celebration featuring area organists in a “spooktacular” concert!
No Admission Charge!
Saturday October 29 – 7:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church, LaGrange

Co-hosted by: The Choral Society of West Georgia and the LaGrange Downtown Development Authority.
 
Six area organists will perform selected pieces which will offer a perfect ending to a festive fall day in downtown LaGrange. The United Way Chili Cookoff and traditional fall costume contest, sponsored by the Downtown Development Authority, will be available to the community throughout the day. The concert will be the concluding celebration of the day’s activities.

Bel Canto LaGrange Women’s Ensemble: “Through the Poet’s Eyes” 
Exploring the relationship between poetry and choral music for women’s voices, with a reception afterwards.

• Sunday April 30, 2017 – 4:00 p.m.
  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in LaGrange, GA
• Featuring:
  • Sam Lee on violin
  • Patrick Hunter Rice on classical guitar
  • Carley Wright Hunt, guest commentator

Second Annual Free Concert for the Community
Callaway Auditorium, LaGrange College
March 11, 2017

Featuring:

• ​The Young Singers of West Georgia
• Voices of the Valley Children’s Choir
• Sons of Lafayette Male Choir
• Point University Concert Choir
• LaGrange High School Chorus
• Faithful Hearts Women’s Ensemble
• Choral Society of West Georgia

“We Gather Together – A Concert of Praise, Thanksgiving, and Remembrance”
Saturday November 19 – 7:00 p.m.   &  Sunday November 20 – 5:30 p.m. 
First Presbyterian Church
Our Guest Narrator:  Katie Mercer Van Schoor.

Katie Mercer Van Schoor is the Midday and 5PM anchor at the CBS affiliate in Columbus WRBL. Prior to joining WRBL, Mercer worked as a weekend anchor/reporter in Charlotte, NC  at Time Warner Cable News for five years where she covered everything from presidential debates to hurricanes.  She covered the education, crime, and government beats and won Creative Loafing’s Best News Anchor award.  Mercer also worked in the Savannah, GA, Albany, GA,  Jacksonville,  FL, and Fargo, ND television markets.  LaGrange is Mercer’s hometown. She graduated from LaGrange High School and then received a degree in telecommunications news from the University of Florida. Mercer spent much of her high school and college career involved in music. Her main instrument was the oboe. She has been active in her community volunteering for several  organizations including Leadership Troup, Lafayette Society for Performing Arts, the LaGrange Symphony Guild, United Way, and her children’s school, the LaGrange Academy. She was also active in the communities she lived before moving back to LaGrange including serving on the USO Board in Charlotte, NC.  She is happily married to her best friend & husband James and is the proud mother of three girls Caroline, Vivienne, & Jacqueline.

Community 911 Tribute Concert
Sunday September 11, 2016 – 7:00 p.m.
Callaway Auditorium
Free Admission

Featuring the Kenny Lewis Trio from Columbus!
Put on your poodle skirt, bobby socks, jeans and leather jacket and join Bel Canto LaGrange for this fabulous evening of the best Girl Songs of the ’50’s!  Come ready to dance!

Saturday May 7, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.
Highland Country Club

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An Afternoon Concert of Reflection and Remembrance

Elizabeth W. Biggs, Director
Eve McKibben, Chorale Accompanist
                    featuring
          Debbie Anderson, Soprano
          Ezekiel Andrew, Baritone
          Sam Lee, Violin
          Ellen Foster, Harp
         David Kocsis, Organ

Sunday March 20, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
Admission: FREE — our musical gift to the community!

“A ‘Little Brit’ of Broadway!” 

• Featuring the Fidelity Jazz Quartet, with vocalist Jan Hyatt with special Performance featuring Atlanta Professional Dancers and Choreographers Beau and Kristin Foister!
• Saturday February 25, 2016 – Dinner at 6:00 p.m. (Cocktails at 5:30) 
  at the Highland Country Club Ballroom
• The Highland Country Club has created a “Razzle Dazzle ‘Em” Broadway style dinner buffet featuring:
  • Manhattan Clam Chowder, “Big Apple” Salad, New York Strip Steak, Chicken Parmesan, Creamed Spinach, Pasta Alfredo, New York Style Cheesecake

The 10th Annual Thanksgiving Concert was held as a double performance this year:
November 21, 2015 and November 22, 2015 at the First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange, GA.  This concert had featured soloist LaGrange College student Jalen Smith.

Bel Canto LaGrange – Women’s Ensemble held the season ending concert in conjunction with the Karl Drake School of Irish Dance on Saturday evening, April 11, 2015, at the newly renovated LaGrange Art Museum Center for Creative Learning. The performance also featured the Kazanetti String Quartet and Rusty Tate on Uilleann pipes.

The 9th Annual Concert of Thanksgiving and Praise was held on Sunday afternoon, November 23, 2014, at the First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange, GA. This concert has become a local tradition. This year, LaGrange native, Tess Malis Kincaid, was the featured narrator.

May 2014 New York Choral Trip

Artistic Director, Mrs. Elizabeth Biggs, and the Choral Society of West Georgia were invited to participate in the World Premiere performance of “Festival Te Deum” by Dr. René Clausen on the Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) Concert Series in New York City.  The performance in the Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center took place on May 26, 2014 (Memorial Day Weekend). Twenty of these outstanding musicians joined other choristers to form the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, a choir of distinction.

Dr. Jonathan Griffith, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for DCINY stated: “The Choral Society of West Georgia was given this opportunity because of the personal invitation given by Dr. Clausen. It is quite an honor just to be invited to perform in New York. These wonderful musicians not only represent a high quality of music and education, but they also become ambassadors for the entire community. This is an event of extreme pride for everybody and deserving of the community’s recognition and support.”